Best RV Parks & Resorts in Rhode Island

I've never camped in Rhode Island, so I was curious to see what a state park campground had to offer. Rates are reasonable for state residents, but quite high if you are out-of-state, given the amenities. There are no hookups, but dump stations are available. Bathrooms have flush toilets and coin-operated showers. There's a small beach at the pond, a boat ramp, and proximity to wildlife refuges and the ocean. It's a HUGE campground, with 700 sites and 20 cabins. Canoes are available to rent.

There's a nice playground, a camp store, and a naturalists cabin. Trails are available for hiking and biking. The beach is sandy and there's a small parking lot there, but I suspect most people walk to it. No alcohol allowed. 

I didn't see more than a handful of level sites, with varying degrees of slope, but many are quite large. If you have an RV, plan to level; if you have a tent, be sure to bring good mattresses to protect you from the roots and rocks and orient your head to the uphill side. Most of the sites have some degree of visual separation from their neighbors, but there are places where it's hard to tell where one site ends and the next one starts. Site have fire rings and picnic tables, but if you plan to cook over the fire, bring your own grate or plan to use sticks and/or aluminum foil. 

If you don't have a tent, consider reserving one of their rustic cabins. These offer two sets of bunks (no mattresses) and a small porch with a picnic table and fire ring outside. Some are located along the pond.

3-4 bar cell phone coverage. No road traffic. East Beach is nearby, but parking fills early.

I read the reviews and was excited to be in a state park near the water for such a reasonable price. Imagine my surprise when we found out that a water/electric site for an out of state camper was $45 per night! This was our first visit to a Rhode Island State Park so not sure if they are all like this but this one definitely caters to Rhode Island residents who camp in large RVs! The sites with the best views are the full hookups (water/electric/sewer) and the rates for out of state campers are significantly more than for residents. I’m used to paying $5 or even $10 more for being from out of state but here the fee is double or more for out-of-state campers. Geez– way to make us feel welcome! 

There are four areas, and each has advantages and disadvantages. Area One has the best views and full hookups but there is no bathhouse; Area Two also has full hookups, no view and some of the sites (55-65) are decidedly not level; Area Three is for tents only with no hookups but is close to the bathhouse; Area Four has water and electric hookups, the pads are not paved (as in the others) but most of the sites have more separation than in the other sections. See the photo below to understand the different areas. 

No matter where you camp, there are noise issues. Road noise continued throughout the night and there is a wind turbine on the property. I’ve never been this close to one and yes, there is noise, although the road noise bothered me more. Alcohol is prohibited throughout the campground. There are pay showers available. There are the remains of two bunkers but other than walking by them, you cannot go inside. One (in Area One) is a grassy knoll with stairs to a lookout. 

On the plus side: The bathrooms were clean, there is excellent cell service, Judith Point lighthouse is nearby, it is close to the ferry to Block Island, and there are numerous recreation options available (playground, tennis courts, volleyball net, and basketball courts). Also, the grouchy staffer I read about in reviews was not there the night we arrived and, in fact, the two staffers were very friendly and even recommended a good restaurant in the nearby town.

We enjoyed this campground. It has a few bumps and bruises that could be improved but overall it was a safe place with lots of families. 

It appeared to be mostly seasonal / long term campers and people that had developed good relationships with their neighbors. Everyone was friendly and helpful. 

Good comments:

Most of the campsites seem to have an open area in the middle between them that allows for maneuvering and socializing. 

The camp store is small but well stocked and the prices are very good. 

The beachfront is nice, the canoe and kayak rental is reasonable. 

Needs improvement:

Electrical at my campsite could use a little work. 

The sewer on my site overflowed after only ~15-20 gallons of dumping.

The swimming area has a 'icky bottom' (kid term :)) 

The entrance / office setup is confusing. If you come in from the West you'll see an entrance, if you pull in you'll then be able to see signs that tell you to go another 1/4 mile to the office to check in. This area doesn't have enough room to make a u-turn unless your rig is pretty small. 

After checking in, you go back out on the main road to the aforementioned entrance. 

Overall we had a good time and the issues were minor compared to having a safe place with lots of kids and things to do. All entrances are gated with key codes and there was a security guard on staff part of the time. The office staff was super nice and understanding when I lost my way coming into the wrong gate. :)

We booked online having never been here before, our mistake. The site we chose is very uneven so leveling the RV wasn't real easy. Our fifth wheel front jacks are on the ground and two of the four wheels are off the ground. This seems to be common among the first part of the campground some sites are fairly level but not most of them. Now the back half of the campground has 50@ full hookups with much longer and level sites. My advice is to book the back section if you're a big Class A with a toad, or a long fifth wheel. Sites in the back seem to have more room to them. Water pressure was @ 50 psi.

Lots of nearby beaches and restaurants. Campsites are simple. A patch of grass with a small bush or two, not very much shade, space or privacy. Tent sites do not have water or electricity but bathhouse is in easy walking range. A nice place to ride a bike around so definitely bring your bike. More of an RV park. RVs do have hookups. Bathrooms and showers are clean. $1.50 in quarters for a 6 min hot shower. Which is nice after a long day at the beach. Playground and courts on the premises and walking paths and an area that accesses the water if your wanted to throw a kayak in. It's a nice place for the location. But not much privacy really, and not much shade, but that will vary from site to site. It's nice because there is so much to do nearby and kept very clean. Our site ended up being right next to the bathhouse so there wasn't too much privacy there. I'd come back again though. And I would definitely come back in an RV instead of I could.

Nice, well separated sites.
Only 6 sites with Electric and Water. No Dump or Shower/restrooms. 2 clean porta poddies on site.
Dump station located at Newport RV Park 5 minutes up the road for $20 charge. NEX MiniMart close with NEX an Commissary located 5 miles at NAVSTA Newport.

I stayed at site 31 in the month of July. It was flat and easy to put up my tent. Partial shade.There are RV water faucets throughout the campground.

I prefer camps in a nature setting and this is not that. It is very much an RV park - but it is well taken care of. I’d go so far as to call it manicured.

Everything was clean. The spots were generously sized. Not private, but not cramped at all.

Facilities were clean. Close drive to several beaches. Surrounded by town amenities but you don’t feel like you are in town.

Super friendly people.

Makes for a nice base of operations for the area.

I recommend the Rail Explorers bike tour while in the area

You can't really beat the price and location combo of Charlestown breachway. There are no hookups or even a dump station, but your site may overlook the channel and is only a very short walk away from the beach. There are toilets; only RV camping is allowed, and the units must be self contained. Stay as long as you can, then you can dump and refill your water at Burlingame State Park for free with registration and the breachway.

Nice level site. Big pull through. Fireplace and picnic table are in good shape. Electric and water work. Bathrooms are spotless. Well... Not anymore 😂

The campground itself is beautiful with the trees and lake. However if you are bringing an RV there are no hookups and there are very few level sites. We camped in our tent when we stayed. And even that was a challenge because the site was so unlevel. The other negativity is that the sites are literally on top of one another. There’s no privacy and all you can see is other people. One positive is they have a bath house with coin operated showers and regular toilets.

for a family or couple looking for a quick and close to home getaway with out paying a fortune it’s a good place to stay.

We come back to Fishermans twice a year. We love the pull thrus and the full hookups. The campsite is always clean and there is so much to do in the area.

Okay, I will try to update this information on the Dyrt site, but I’ve had mixed success getting that to stick. So if you are confused about things like location, let’s knock that out first:

This campground is located near 2185 Putnam Pike, Chepachet, RI 02814. It’s by Bowdish Lake, near the Connecticut border. This is a cool area of Rhode Island that I enjoyed getting the chance to explore a little bit. Great Italian restaurant if you don’t feel like cooking (Mr Z’s By The Lake) and some historical sites like a very nice covered bridge to the northwest.

Full water and electrical hookup and a very unique and fun play area for kids. The lake access is excellent, obviously. Pay showers of varying degrees of cleanliness. Open to tents, but clearly preferred by the RV crowd.

We like it here  even though it's not our usual kind of campground. It has drivethu sites and full hookups. We usually dry camp. Lots of healthy grass at the sites. Flat spot for our drop camper. Clean bathrooms also.

We were able to secure a spot at Charlestown Breachway in Charlestown, Rhode Island during peak season, July 17-19.. Due to Covid-19, Charlestown was forced to reduce capacity to 50 percent. This is a very popular place to come to during the summer, so make sure you are booking way in advance to get a spot.

It very close to the beach….steps away. There is a more“private” sandy area near the water sites(close to sites 70’s) where we were able to pull up a chair and sit in the water. Minimal waves and lots of people watching(one of my favorite things to do). There were many people fishing and reeling them in. The campground has small boat ramp at the end; Great place to bring the kayaks for sure. There is no water/electric or sewer hookups available. However, there were compost bathrooms available but they were only open from 0830-1700(I believe those were the hours). You are allowed one vehicle, in addition to your RV, per site. Due to Covid rules, the campground was spaced out. 

I believe it would be quite cramped when all campers are allowed back.  The campground only allows generators to be run from 0800-2000. Even though it was in the high 80’s, we barely ran the generator during the day. There was such a nice breeze. We had our windows open but curtains down to keep it dark. It was actually quite comfortable at night.

If you have a self-contained RV (no pop-up/canvas; permanent toilets/water tanks), like the beach, fishing, boating, and/or windsurfing, this may just be the park for you. It is nothing more than a parking lot with no hookups and only composting toilets available, but you get access to Block Island Sound and all that it offers. Sites 58-75 are waterfront. For Rhode Island residents, the price can't be beat, and it's fair for out-of-staters, too, because of the location

No animals permitted. Generators only 8a-8p. Clam shack, marina, deli, and ice cream place nearby, but I doubt you'll want to fight the traffic on a summer day.

I camp at Fisherman's every August and I love this campground. If you are looking for a secluded spot in the woods this not it, but to be able to walk to the ocean for beachs, fishing, block island ferry, and great seafood you can not beat it; $20 with full hookup. It is such a good deal that you need to reserve a site twelve months in advance on the day they open up, even then don't wait but book it at 8am.